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Aaron Franklin

Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas

Hundreds of people line up every day to sample brisket from Aaron Franklin, a young Austinite who's nursed pitmaster dreams since age 12. But Aaron's popularity hasn't left him assuming there's nothing left to learn. "Anybody who thinks they've perfected barbecue should probably reassess," he says. His distinctive meat—heralded for its slinky marbling, flavorful bark, and whiff of white-oak smoke—keeps Aaron tied to the pit. He firmly believes the pitmaster adds to the flavor. "An old dude hands off the reins and it's never the same," he says. "It's safe to say I'm stuck." franklinbarbecue.com